Whether you’re cooking for your sweetheart, friends, or family or treating yourself, your Valentine’s Day dinner should be impressive enough to show loved ones you care but easy enough to tackle on a weeknight. From cocktails to dessert, we’ve compiled our ideal V-Day menu, complete with plenty of make-ahead elements. Here is everything you’ll need for a foolproof (yet totally manageable) Valentine’s Day dinner.
“Freezer Door” Manhattan
Chris Kimball’s “Freezer Door” Manhattans can be made in advance of Valentine’s Day, so you can pour yourself and your date a drink as you start dinner prep. Take a full bottle of rye and pour off 4.5 ounces, then add 4 ounces of sweet vermouth and half an ounce of maraschino cherry juice to the partially empty bottle. Finish it off with two generous dashes of Angostura bitters, and there you have it: ready-to-go Manhattans that will last you the rest of the month!
Radicchio Salad with Manchego Vinaigrette
Radicchio is the perfect ingredient for Valentine’s Day—it’s in season, it’s bright reddish pink, and it pairs well with rich dishes like braises and pastas. Here, Food52 pairs the crunchy vegetable with freshly shredded Manchego cheese, which helps the dressing stick while balancing some of the dish’s bitterness. This recipe can also sit comfortably while you finish cooking the rest of dinner.
Bucatini all’Amatriciana
Guanciale—or cured, slightly smoked pork jowl—turns this otherwise simple red pasta into a rich showstopper boasting massive flavor. Food52 and recipe author Emiko Davies urge cooks to follow the instructions to a tee and to not add onion or garlic to the sauce. The addition of either ingredient would turn the sauce from classic Amatriciana into something else entirely. Trust the process!
Dark Chocolate–Almond Mousse
Valentine’s Day calls for chocolate, of course! This silky, rich, and salty-sweet recipe from the Goodtaste archives checks all the boxes. Be sure to make the mousse and whipped cream before starting dinner so you can simply serve and enjoy it at the end of the night.
Bonus: Espresso Martinis
Fancy a nightcap? Vintage American Cocktails has the definitive recipe for espresso martinis. Avoid serving coffee-flavored sludge by following instructions exactly, and simplify by making your simple syrup a day ahead.
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